Frederick: Ads Aren't Campaign Gimmick

The Ex-orlando Mayor Is Doing A Series Of Ads For Local Telephone Companies.

April 23, 1997|By John Kennedy, Tallahassee Bureau

TALLAHASSEE — Mayor Bill is back - sort of.

Former Orlando Mayor Bill Frederick has jumped back into the political fray - weighing in on the side of local phone companies in a high-stakes battle with long-distance carriers.

Frederick, mayor from 1980-1992, is featured in a $400,000 statewide print and TV advertising campaign sponsored by Sprint Corp. In the ads, Frederick urges the Legislature not to tinker with current telecommunications laws.

Frederick, though, said Tuesday the campaign should not be construed as any attempt to boost his own political stock.

''I'm clearly not in a campaign mode,'' said Frederick, 62. ''I'm happy and content. I've learned that there's life after politics.''

Sprint and other local phone companies are fighting legislation that would slash the money long-distance companies pay them for using their lines to connect calls. Local providers say the measure will cost them millions of dollars. Long-distance companies claim it will lead to cheaper rates for customers.

''Is this Frederick's return to public life? He says not,'' Barr said.

''We picked him because he has a direct connection to the issue, not because we want to expose him to the public.''

Frederick formerly served on Sprint's board of directors. He also has had a long friendship with the company's southern operations president, Darrell Kelley.